OGUNQUIT, Maine — June is LGBTQ+ Pride Month, and Maine Gov. Janet Mills helped officially kicked it off by raising a rainbow pride flag at Ogunquit's Veterans Park Thursday evening.
"Every person deserves to live their life with the person they love," Gov. Mills said before a packed crowd made up of LGBTQ+ community members and advocates.
This pride month comes as several anti-LGBTQ bills are being proposed in Augusta. One bill would ban public schools from using names or pronouns for students other than what's listed on their birth certificates without parental permission.
"I’m always concerned when the rights of minorities are threatened," Mills told NEWS CENTER Maine.
Representative Gerry Runte, D-York, also spoke at the Pride Month kick-off. He said there's still a lot more work to do in the fight for equality.
"Boy, the journey isn’t over yet and there’s still more education and there’s still more battle to be won, frankly," Rep. Runte said.
The flag-raising is just one of a slew of pride events scheduled in Ogunquit. A full list schedule can be found here.